Taormina Cathedral - Beautiful little church with some great art

Taormina Cathedral of San Nicolò di Bari is located in Piazza Duomo, just off Corso Umberto, the main street of Taormina. The notches in the roof line (merlate) make it look like a castle or a small fort and give the 13th century church the nickname "Fortezza Cattedrale." Cathedral was built on the ruins of a pre-existing religious building. Dedicated to St. Nicholas of Bari, it represents the austere medieval style with crowning battlements and a bell tower that make it resemble a building built to guard something or someone really precious. A mix of as many as three architectural styles come together in him: the pure Sicilian style, with Gothic and Roman. The building really looks more fortress than religious institution. This impression is accentuated by the construction made entirely with large stone blocks and finished with battlements along the whole perimeter of the building. The facade is adorned with a large rose window made of Siracusa stone of excellent workmanship. Two other rosettes on sides of the east and west of the church. There are several oil paintings with the classic religious scenes of saints from the Byzantine to the Renaissance period. I'm not a real artistic person, but I appreciate religious works that have historical meaning and value. I really like to visit churches, mosques and cathedrals in Europe, and this is definitely worth spending a few minutes inside. It's also free.